So Much To Be Thankful For

Thanksgiving is in 2 days, and it's time to share the happy stuff. Yes there's much to be Thankful for, so let's get started.

In no particular order:

Here it is, TWO whole months since my accident, and I finally started PT today(!) My range of motion hasn't improved much, but here's hoping my PT exercises help. The good thing is that I manage most of my self care really well now, and I'm truly grateful that I have some independence now. I'm back to sleeping in bed with my husband (where I belong) even though getting in and out of bed is painful.

My husband is in his 7th week of radiation, and is scheduled to finish on or around December 17th. We can see our goal up ahead! It is still causing problems (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc;)  but his Oncologist prescribed Lomotil for the diarrhea, so it's not as bad as it was.

We saw his Oncologist on Monday (11-18) last week, and we were happy to find out that his PSA level is down to 1.9! It was 120 in January, so it almost feels like a miracle.  In the meantime, his testosterone level is 18, and considering that it was over 500 not that long ago, we couldn't be happier. Apparently the chemo and radiation is doing what it's supposed to do.

I have also managed to keep my goal of attending the Friday night Dinners with my friends this month. It's nice to not feel so isolated. I even went overnight (Saturday to Sunday) with my friends and had sushi on Saturday night.

Maybe it doesn't seem like much, but I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I even heard the words "Possible remission," and it makes me so very happy. From near death to near health, and I'm not as worried as I was.

BEST PART
For the first time in a long time, we're having Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving. My husband used to work on Thanksgiving, but since he's retired, we can do it like everyone else.

Happy Thanksgiving To ALL!

Another Overdue Update

“Bucket List” Weekend

It was AMAZING! We went up the coast to Ventura, with me driving the rental car. We managed to make it a dining as well as a tourist visit. Highlights included two separate meals at The Busy Bee Cafe (https://www.facebook.com/TheBusyBeeCafeVentura/) and a walking tour through both the Albinger Archaeological Museum (https://www.facebook.com/AlbingerArchaeologicalMuseum/) and the San Buenaventura Mission (https://www.facebook.com/sanbuenaventuramission/) after which, he got tired and walked back to the car (It was a HOT day!) and I walked up the block to visit a few shops, and joined him 30 minutes later. Sunday was a lazy day, but we had reservations to go to Alexanders Champagne Brunch (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexanders-Champagne-Brunch/188309961188983) and while he napped and watched football, I did some driving, and just as the sun was starting to set, we went to Father Serra Cross (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Father-Serra-Cross/2310610189158392) and had a lovely view of the ocean. Finally, we had dinner at Wood Ranch (https://www.facebook.com/WoodRanchBBQ/) and went straight to bed. We took our time heading home on Monday, and stopped in Thousand Oaks for a late breakfast, then visited some friends in Toluca Lake on our way home. It was a perfect weekend!

OOPS! OUCH!!!!

I fell and injured my left arm on the evening of September 25th. It isn't/wasn't broken, but the pain has been more than I expected, and I'm still having problems, including limited movement that still necessitates assistance when bathing/washing my hair. At least now I can use the bathroom without assistance, but for the first two weeks, I was at the mercy of my husband and ex-husband. I went nearly a month without seeing my friends for our weekly Friday night Dinner because I couldn't drive or feed myself. Now I'm just waiting on my referral to PT because I'm losing strength and range of motion. In the meantime, I've been sleeping on the couch.

Radioactive!

My husband is finishing up his Fourth  week of Radiation Therapy. Chemotherapy was and still is easy on him, but the radiation isn't as kind. He goes daily, Monday through Friday, and so far, he has suffered through nausea, vomiting, explosive diarrhea, and painful frequent urination that has him wearing an adult diaper (pull-up) due to its unpredictable nature. Imodium and Azo barely has an effect on it. Naturally, this also leaves him with a reduced appetite most days, and other than his radiation or other medical appointments, he rarely leaves the house. His birthday (63) is this upcoming weekend, and we have many activities planned, all things he wants to do, and places he wants to go, so I'm cautiously optimistic about it. He does have the occasional "good" day, so here's hoping it works out.

Family News....

My exceptionally healthy FIL had a routine knee replacement surgery sometime in the middle of October. The surgery went well, but soon thereafter, he had a stroke. He's obviously angry and confused, and says horrible things to his wife of only 3 years. Normally, we would be in MS by now to celebrate my husband's birthday, but with all the health issues going on, it was a no-go this year.

More Positive News…..

My husband's cancer has brought us closer, and I enjoy our time together. Our marriage is happy, and we have better communication skills. We cuddle together on Tuesday afternoons and watch programs that we saved on the DVR. It's really nice. On Saturday nights after football the 3 of us (Husband, ex-husband, and myself) watch more DVR programs together.

My FIL's stroke made it that much easier for us to stay home this year, and considering how weak my husband is, I don't think he could have handled the plane trip there.

In Spite Of It All......

I do have a goal of attending every weekly Friday night Dinner this month, even the one on Black Friday. I don't like being away from my friends so much.

We're not doing much waiting these days. We're in the midst of insanity, but we're getting through it!